ECU unveils new logo

East Carolina's athletic teams will make the switch to the American Athletic Conference next year wearing a brand new look.

The ECU Department of Athletics on Wednesday unveiled a new logo featuring the popular "Skull and Crossbones'' icon as the symbol to be used in all phases of its operations, including team apparel. The new design replaces the bearded "Pirate Head'' logo that the school has used since 1998. The "Pirate Head'' logo will continued to be associated with the ECU Athletic Hall of Fame and other entities and will remain available on retail products for fans.

The change comes as East Carolina's athletic program departs from Conference USA after the current academic year to join the AAC this summer. It was announced by ECU athletic director Jeff Compher as part of a comprehensive strategic plan for the Pirate sports teams.

"The timing of this branding initiative could not have been better from all perspectives," Compher said in a statement released by the school. "The new primary icon, wordmarks and typography offers consistency and presents an opportunity for East Carolina to gain a fresh national presence through its placement and usage. At the same time, I believe it also symbolizes our tradition by maintaining classic elements from ECU's storied history."

A nine-month process that gathered input from East Carolina head coaches, athletics and university staff, faculty, students, Pirate Club, Board of Trustees and retailers helped develop the new logo. Howard Rocket, Inc., Angela Miller Creative and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) were commissioned for this project.

The "Pirates State of Mind" graphic, which made its debut in November, 2009 prior to a nationally-televised Thursday night home contest against Virginia Tech, will continue its mid-field visibility at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and at mid-court inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.

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